1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved moisture absorption sectional pack and more particularly to a moisture and liquid absorption and sectional pack operable to absorb moisture/liquid maintained in contact with the pack and to release absorbent granules from the pack upon contact with moisture or liquid to absorb additional moisture or liquid surrounding the pack and removed from contact therewith.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Desiccant containers operable to absorb water vapor, liquids and the like are well known in the art as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,578,324, which teaches a package made of water vapor permeable sheets of fibrous material with heat-sealable coating on one surface of the fibrous sheet. A fibrous material, such as tissue paper, is embedded in the coating. The sheets are arranged into a container and a desiccant, such as silica gel, is sealed in the container whereby water vapor is readily absorbed through the walls of the container. The volume of water vapor capable of being absorbed is determined by the absorbent capacity of the volume of desiccant in the container. Once this capacity has been exceeded, however, the container is not operable to absorb additional water vapor to which it is exposed.
It is known, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,713,214, to reduce perspiration of the feet when worn in a shoe by a shoe pad formed by a plurality of individually sealed pockets containing a foot powder. The pad is positioned in the shoe, and the pad follows the contour of the inner shoe. The pad when worn in the shoe functions to remove foot odor and reduce perspiration of the feet.
Substances capable of absorbing relatively large amounts of fluids are used in manufacturing products of the above described type to increase the water absorbency of the products. U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,815, disclosed a water insoluble granular solid comprising an alkali metal carboxylate salt of a starch-polyacrylonitrile graft copolymers. The granular solids have the ability to absorb water in amounts in excess of 50 parts per part thereof while retaining their granular character. The granules, as disclosed, are useful in the manufacture of liquid absorbing products.
While it has been suggested by the prior art to provide liquid absorbing devices in which the desiccant is retained in a liquid or moisture permeable sheet material, the absorbent properties of the known devices are limited by the quantity of liquid or moisture the container and desiccant are capable of absorbing. Thus, for a device having sealed sections with a fixed volume of desiccant in each section, the absorbent capacity of the entire device is limited by the capacity of each section. Thus, unless the remaining sections are exposed to the liquid or moisture, the entire device is limited to the absorbent capabilities of one section. Consequently, liquid or moisture in the vicinity of the pack but removed from contact with the pack is not absorbed when the desiccant materials are confined in the pack and removed from contact with the surrounding moisture or liquid.
Therefore, there is need for an improved material or liquid absorbing device containing a plurality of sections having absorbent capacity to absorb all the moisture or liquid entering an individual section where the moisture or liquid is confined in the pack and absorbed before flowing from the pack and moisture or liquid surrounding but removed from immediate contact with the pack is also absorbed.